Last week I had the opportunity to work on a Wiki page. Wiki pages are a convenient and organized method for tracking information for your classroom. A teacher can store resources for their students such as study guides or homework assignments, or they can allow students to store and organize resources for research. Though the free Wiki pages are an awesome resource, I was assigned a task of looking at other teaching resources to report about on my Wiki page. One of the sources I looked at was Google Earth. Google earth is a satellite based program developed in the late 1990’s which allows users to navigate to coordinates, addresses, cities and landscapes. The satellite images are not limited to earths surface. In fact, Google Earth has continued to expanded over the last 20 years with coverage of the Moon, Mars,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeG0g9a8-0M the ocean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoR0NSp-d2Q and the stars. Usage of Google Earth exploded in 2003 when CNN used the program to track the Iraq war for millions of American viewers. Public demand for real time information is skyrocketing. Google’s real time tracking and historical images makes it a relevant resource for scientists, ecologist and teachers.
For teachers Google Earth can be utilized to meet the social studies common core standards of understanding global and climate change. The USA National Phrenology Network has a website which utilizes Google Earth to monitor the impact of climate change on plants and animals. They provide training and resource materials for students, educators, and non-profit groups. USGS scientists offer videos series to students on climate change in conjunction with research based on satellite images of various locations in the US and other global locations. Students can view changes tracked over time to learn how to read maps and solve problems which have risen over time due to human activity and weather related phenomenon. Students can listen to podcasts that cover issues such as the carbon cycle and the difference between climate and weather. They can learn how climate change causes the El Nino and La Nina effects in the oceans. Images are available of Glacier Parks from the past in comparison with the present which show the effects of global warming and how farming and settlement has changed our landscape. the formation of deserts. Students can see how volcanoes and gases contribute to changes in the atmosphere. Students can see the contrasting images of how greenhouse gases change the air and water. NASA’s cooperation with Google allows students can see real time discoveries in our solar system and on planets. For middle school students, USGS offers students an opportunity to learn how to monitor plant and animal phrenology, how biologist use satellite radio tags to track behavior and movement of sea inhabitants as well as tracking the Mojave Desert Tortoises.
Click on this link to explore different lesson plans that utilize Google Earth
https://www.usgs.gov/science-support/osqi/yes/resources-teachers/grade-9-12-global-change
Not So Techy Tech 